


More Than Friends

by zeilfanaat



Category: Doc (TV), Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Family, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-12
Updated: 2008-09-12
Packaged: 2018-03-09 14:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3253088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeilfanaat/pseuds/zeilfanaat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jack Hudson introduces Sue Thomas to his cousin in New York, while they’re there to testify for a case, they wouldn’t have expected the meeting to have such far-reaching consequences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the i2eye Summer Challenge 2008.

Wednesday

“I’m glad that’s over,” Jack Hudson sighed in relief, tugging at the tie around his neck, as he walked out of the court house. 

“I’m surprised you dislike it so much, with your background of a lawyer,” Sue Thomas teased, walking beside him as they walked onto the busy streets of New York. 

“I don’t mind being in court… I just am not fond of testifying,” Jack responded. “By the way,” he continued, making sure Sue could read his lips, “you did a great job in there.” 

“Thanks, Jack. You weren’t too bad yourself either,” she said with a smile. A sweet smile as only Jack Hudson could give was her answer. As usual, she had to remind herself to keep breathing, the effect of that smile never failing. 

He looked down at his watch. “What do you say about getting lunch?” 

Sue looked down at her four-legged companion. “What do you think, Levi?” 

The golden retriever tilted his head, then barked once. Sue nodded. “Levi agrees, as long as they allow dogs and ex-lawyers.” 

Jack chuckled. “We should be able to manage that.”

* * *

“You know,” Sue said, as they walked through the city after having finished lunch. “I like New York better this time around.” 

Jack chuckled. “So do I. Especially since this time the case is closed.” 

Which meant he and Sue could spend some time together without having to be focused on something else. Although… he had just realised something. Quickly he checked his watch. 

“Something wrong?” Sue asked, a worried look in her eyes. 

“No, no,” Jack said, biting his lip. “It’s just that I almost forgot, I wanted to visit someone while I was here.” 

“Oh, well, I can walk back to the hotel with Levi, and you could go to that… someone,” Sue suggested, not wanting to be a burden. 

“Actually, I would like you to meet her,” Jack said. 

Sue inwardly flinched at the ‘her’, but then reasoned with herself that Jack would be unlikely to introduce her to an ex-girlfriend voluntarily. Unless she was his current girlfriend. In that case, he might want to introduce her. 

“Are you sure she wouldn’t mind? It’s probably better if you’d go alo-”

“Oh, no, she won’t mind at all! She’s actually quite eager to meet you,” Jack tried to reassure his colleague, but it had the opposite effect. 

_‘Yeah, of course she is. Wants to make sure I know he’s hers, not mine,’_ Sue thought. She inwardly gave herself a good mental shake. _‘You don’t know if it even is his girlfriend!’_

“So, who’s she?” Sue asked, deciding if she was going to meet the woman, she at least wanted to know where she stood. 

“She’s my cousin. She’s getting married the day after tomorrow,” Jack explained, oblivious to Sue’s relieved exhale. “I didn’t think I’d have time to come to her wedding, what with our workload, but I figured, since we are in New York now anyway, we can at least visit her.” 

“And you’re sure she won’t mind if I come along?” Sue asked again, more to gain back her composure than anything else. 

“I told you, she’d love to meet you.” 

“Ok then. Where does she live?” 

“Ehm, actually, I’m not sure where she’s living at the moment.”

At Sue’s raised eyebrow and amused smile, he hurriedly explained. “She and her fiancé went to work in Indonesia for almost a year, and I know she sold her apartment. They only came back two months ago I think, so I haven’t got a clue where she’s living now. But,” he added quickly, “I do know where her father lives.” 

“Do we need a cab?” Sue asked. 

“It shouldn’t be too far from here,” Jack replied. 

“So you know the way from here?” 

“Yeah, sort of.”

Again Sue raised her eyebrow. “Shouldn’t we look at a map first then?” 

Jack sent her a horrified look. Rolling her eyes, Sue followed him. She was glad she had a GPS system in her Blackberry…


	2. Chapter 2

“How’s ‘supper’ coming along?” 

Arms were wrapped around his chest, and he looked up from the pan. 

“Fine. Sure hope the folks are hungry though. May have made a bit too much,” he grinned. Nancy smiled against his back. “It can’t be that bad. With your appetite, they should be glad to get any.” 

“I resent that,” Clint objected, putting the spatula down as he turned to face his fiancée. Nancy raised her eyebrows. “They’ll definitely get first servings at least,” Clint finished with a grin. Nancy chuckled, and leaned closer for a kiss. 

There was a knock on the door, and reluctantly they broke off the kiss. 

“It’s open,” they both called out at the same time, chuckling at each other the moment the words left their mouths. 

“Clint, you’re a bad influence on my daughter,” Paul Nichol said, as he entered the apartment. The couple stepped out of the kitchen to greet him. 

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Clint said, but his eyes twinkled, and he turned to look at his wife-soon-to-be. “Nancy, we’re not supposed to leave the door open anymore. Your father could walk in any moment.” 

Nancy rolled her eyes at him, and went to give her father a hug. As he watched, Clint noticed the couple still standing in the doorway. “Can I help you?” he asked, causing Nancy to look towards the door as well. Paul released his daughter, and said humorously, “Look at what I found on my doorstep this afternoon.” 

“Jack!!” she exclaimed, immediately heading towards him. He closed the distance with a grin, returning the hug she immediately gave him. 

“Hey Nancy! Nice to see you too,” Jack chuckled, as she released him. Clint had stood back watching the two for a moment, but now he thrust out his hand. 

“Hi, Clint Cassidy,” he said, a ready smile on his face. Jack took the offered hand. “Jack Hudson, pleased to meet you.” 

“Jack’s my cousin,” Nancy explained to Clint. Jack took a small step back, looking at his companion. “And this is Sue Thomas, my colleague.” 

“Hi,” Nancy said with a wide smile. “I’m Nancy, and this,” she turned slightly to smile at the man standing next to her, before turning back, “is my fiancé, Clint Cassidy.” 

Sue smiled, “Pleased to meet you both.” 

“Likewise,” Clint smiled, before looking at the golden retriever that stood next to Sue. “And who is this?” He knelt to greet Levi, who immediately put a paw on his knee. 

“That’s Levi,” Sue said. “He’s my hearing dog.” 

“Hearing dog?” Clint asked, looking up with a surprised look on his face. 

“I’m deaf,” Sue explained. “I know ASL, and I can read lips as long as people look at me so I can see their lips, and it’s light enough.” 

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Nancy exclaimed. 

“It’s not really,” Sue replied. “I’ve been doing it for the most part of my life.” 

She shrugged. Giving Levi a last pat, Clint rose again, and said, “but I imagine you’ll have had to work quite hard to learn it.” 

“That’s true,” Sue admitted. 

Another knock on the door had everyone turn, except Sue, but Jack quickly mouthed to her there was someone at the door. This time Clint opened it, and quickly let the newcomers in, greeting them warmly. 

“Doc, Dottie, glad you could make it,” Clint said, a wide smile on his face. 

“Likewise, Clint,” the elderly woman said as she hugged the man she and her husband loved as a son. 

“But since when do you come and open the door when we knock. We were about to come in anyway,” the man with the thinning grey hair said. Nancy and Paul laughed as Clint held up his hands. 

“I give up. I’m being told off by the first to not leave the door open so not everyone can come in, and now I’m being told off for not leaving the door open!” 

Everyone chuckled at that. 

“So,” Nancy said, turning towards Jack and Sue, “want to join us for supper? Clint made plenty.” 

Jack and Sue exchanged a look, then nodded. “Sure, would love to.” 

“Speaking of supper…” Nancy said, sniffing the air. 

“I’m going, I’m going,” Clint replied, beating a hasty retreat towards the kitchen to make sure nothing burnt, but not without dropping a quick kiss on Nancy’s cheek. 

More introductions were made, and soon everyone was seated. Dottie went over to see if she could help her ‘son’, while Nancy set two extra plates. 

When supper was ready everyone sat down at the dinner table. Clint prayed, and soon they were all enjoying the chilli. 

“So Jack, what brought you in the neighbourhood?” Clint asked. 

“Sue and I had to testify in court for a case.” 

“What kind of job do you two have then?”

“We ehm, we work for the F.B.I.” 

Clint whistled. “I know whose good side to stay on.” 

Nancy chuckled. “Just be happy it was Nate who saw you driving into New York with a rifle in the back of your car.” 

Jack’s eyes widened slightly. “You drove into New York with a rifle in the back of your car?” 

Clint shrugged. “First time in a big town, grew up in Montana… didn’t think it’d be a big deal. Sure was wrong about that.” 

A grin appeared on Jack’s face. “Yeah, you can say that again.” 

For a moment, Sue looked up from the conversation she was having with Dottie Johanson. Usually Jack wasn’t this relaxed among strangers. Granted, two of them were family, but he hadn’t seen them in a while, and he was currently talking to a man he’d only met less than an hour ago. Seeing him this at ease, made her glad too. Dragging her attention back to her conversation, she noticed the twinkling eyes of the older woman. 

“So, where did you meet Jack?” Dottie asked, feeling there might be more going on than just colleagues. 

“Dottie!” Doc Johanson warned quietly. He knew that look in her eyes. His wife smiled sweetly at him, and looked at Sue again, who explained how she’d gone to complain at Personnel about being put in Fingerprinting, but instead had ended up complaining to Agent Jack Hudson. 

“He must have immediately known you were special,” Dottie said. 

“Oh, the F.B.I. knew that too… that’s why they labelled me as ‘Special Project’,” Sue sighed. 

“That’s not what I meant, Dear,” Dottie said as she took Sue’s hand and squeezed it softly. “You’re special, turning your disabilities into new abilities.” Sue smiled softly. She was sure starting to like this woman.


	3. Chapter 3

The evening whipped by. At the end Sue sat back on the couch, just watching the others. She couldn’t remember being this relaxed with a group of newly-met-friends. Everyone was very considerate, making sure she could read their lips. Oh, occasionally someone would slip, but the moment they realised it, they immediately apologised and repeated what they’d said. 

“Clint, Nancy,” Doc Johanson said as he and Dottie rose. “We’d like to thank you for a wonderful evening. But these ol’ bones need some rest, so we’ll be going. We’ll see each other again tomorrow.” 

“Alright, I’ll walk you out,” Clint said, rising also. 

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Paul said, as he too rose. “I think I should be getting back too. Do you two need a ride to your hotel?” he asked the older doctor and his wife. 

“That would be great,” Dottie smiled. 

“Alright, that’s settled then,” Paul said. 

“Thanks Paul,” Clint said, shaking the man’s hand. 

“No problem, Clint. You bringing Nancy ‘round later?”

“Yeah, she insists on helping me with the dishes.” He looked around. “Between you and me, I’m not going to disagree… use it while I can,” he stage whispered. 

“I heard that, Clint Cassidy,” Nancy said, gently swatting his arm as she leaned past to give her father a quick hug. “I’ll see you in an hour and a half or so.”

Sue grinned at the easy banter, then looked at Jack who was sitting next to her. “Think we should go soon too?” she asked. Jack nodded. He’d been having a wonderful evening. Catching up with his uncle, and with his cousin Nancy, with whom he’d always had good contact, except that they hardly ever saw each other anymore; meeting the doctor she was going to marry, and his folks; and most importantly, having Sue by his side. 

Watching Clint and Nancy interact, often just touching the other lightly as they brushed past each other, as a show of their affection, the longing he had been pushing away almost unconsciously was suddenly pushing its way to the fore. He longed for the kind of casual but intimate contact that people in love with each other so often had. He longed for the kind of relationship that ought to be between man and wife. It wasn’t as if there hadn’t been women who’d be willing to offer that, and more, but he was only interested in one woman, and she was sitting right beside him now… as a colleague and good friend. 

He sighed and shook off the melancholy mood that had suddenly come over him. He’d just had a great evening, and he wasn’t about to let it be ruined by what could not be. Instead he pushed himself to his feet. 

“We should be going too,” he said. Nancy and Clint exchanged a look. 

“Actually, we were wondering,” Clint started, “if you’d do us the honour of coming to our wedding the day after tomorrow?” 

A little taken aback, Jack looked at Sue. He wouldn’t want to make any decisions that she wasn’t comfortable with. But when he saw her eyes, he knew he wouldn’t have to worry. Turning back to the engaged couple he nodded. “We’re the honoured ones. We’d love to come.” 

The faces of Clint and Nancy lit up, and Nancy excitedly pulled Sue into a hug. Pulling back, she said, “I’m so happy to have met you…” She quickly looked at Jack, but saw he was talking with Clint. “…finally. Jack always talks about you in our e-mails.” 

“Really?” Sue wasn’t sure what to think of that, and was trying hard to keep her hopes down. 

“Oh yes, definitely. And now that I’ve met you in person I can totally understand why.” She paused for a moment. “You really don’t mind coming to our wedding?” 

“No, I really am excited to come,” Sue said honestly. 

“Good,” Nancy said, “because I’d hate it if you just said it to be polite. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.” 

Sue smiled. “Thanks, that’s really thoughtful of you.” 

Meanwhile Jack and Clint shook hands. 

“Thanks for coming – both tonight and to the wedding,” Clint said. 

“Actually, I want to thank you. You’ve both been most gracious, seeing as we did come sort of unexpectedly.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I had made plenty of food, and we can always make do with what we have,” Clint said. 

“But this was supposed to be an evening with just the parents, right?”

“Jack, boy, if there’s anything you have to know, it’s that family is always welcome. You have no idea how glad you made Nancy with just coming over. When she initially heard you wouldn’t be able to come, she was a bit disappointed, since she hadn’t seen you in ages. You’ve always felt like a brother to her.” 

Jack gauged the country doctor before him. “You sure you didn’t know me before I walked in here today?” 

Clint laughed. “I didn’t know you, I did know of you. We sent out those wedding invitations together… you learn a lot that way.” Clint winked, causing Jack to grin. 

“Alright already. Guess we’ll be seeing you soon then.” 

“Yes, sure hope so. Meanwhile, if you need Nancy or me, here’s my cell phone number.” Clint handed him a piece of paper on which he’d quickly scrawled a number. 

“Thanks.” Jack accepted the piece of paper and dug around in the jacket of his suit, which he had just donned again, before handing Clint his card. “There’s mine. Needless to say, I won’t be at the office.” Both men grinned. Looking over at the two women, Jack figured it was really time. “Ready to go?” Jack asked. 

Sue looked at Nancy. “You absolutely sure you don’t need help with those dishes?” 

“Yes, now get movin’ already,” Nancy chuckled. 

“Ok,” Sue grinned, turning back to Jack. “Ready.”


	4. Chapter 4

They took a cab back to the hotel. 

“Do you regret coming along?” Jack asked as they sat in the back of the car. 

“Absolutely not. I’m glad I got to meet your family.” 

“Well, I only knew Nancy and Paul myself. First time I met Clint and his parents.” 

“What did you think of them?” Sue asked, although she was fairly sure what his answer would be. 

Jack shrugged. “Clint seems like a pretty great guy. Relaxed, down to earth. He definitely has a sense of humour.”

Sue nodded. “And trustworthy. Doc Johanson and Dottie are a wonderful couple too.” 

“Yeah… So, what do you think of Nancy?”

“Actually, she really reminds me of Lucy.” Both chuckled. “She seems like a really nice person, Jack. And it looked like you two are pretty close.” 

Jack nodded. “Yeah. When we were younger, we used to hang out together a lot. My mother and Paul have a real strong brother-sister bond, so they often visited each other. Then Nancy’s parents divorced. The first few years we spent a lot of time visiting each other. After that the visits became less frequent, but we kept in touch. Once we both got regular jobs, we had even less time to visit, and mostly we keep in touch by e-mail nowadays.” 

“It seemed like you’d last seen each other last week, the way you talked…” Sue murmured, remembering how easily Jack and Nancy had swapped new stories and remembered old ones. 

“It really has been a couple of years since we last saw each other…” Jack sighed, then smiled. “But it was great catching up. I’m glad you like her…” 

Sue nodded. “I feel I’ve gained a good friend. More than one actually…” 

“Me too,” Jack agreed, as the cab stopped and they got out. After paying, they decided to make a short walk for Levi. Their hands easily found each other, and for a while they walked in companionable silence. 

“Oh,” Sue exclaimed suddenly, as they rounded a corner. 

“What?” Jack asked worried. 

“I don’t have anything suitable to wear to the wedding with me,” Sue said. She hadn’t thought she’d be here for more than a day or so, and the only clothes that would be acceptable were the clothes she was wearing at that moment. A no-go. 

“Oh, don’t worry, we can go clothes shopping tomorrow,” Jack said, glad it was as easy as that. 

Sue frowned. “I hope we can manage in one day…”

Jack gulped. “One day’s plenty of time, right? It won’t take all day… will it?” 

“Jack, these things have to be done properly. It might very well take all day,” Sue said, with her face as serious as possible. She hoped she’d manage to keep from bursting out laughing. He just looked so cute when he looked like that. 

“All day?” Jack swallowed. That’s when Sue decided to let him off the hook. “Well, _I_ am usually done rather quickly, but Levi likes to do a lot of window-shopping…” 

At the realisation he’d been tricked, Jack glared at her, causing Sue to burst out laughing. Hands still entwined, they walked back to the hotel.

* * *

“That’s the last one,” Nancy said, handing over the pan, before letting the dirty dishwater go down the drain. 

“Your cousin’s a good man,” Clint said, drying off the pan before stowing it away in one of the cupboards. 

“Yeah,” Nancy said, a tender expression on her face. “I’m still surprised he managed to come here.” 

Clint shrugged. “Apparently his job brought him here, and he took advantage of that.” 

Nancy grinned, cleaning the kitchen counter. “I’m glad I finally got to meet Sue too. For the past three-four years, there hasn’t been an e-mail from Jack that Sue wasn’t mentioned.” 

Clint looked up, eyebrow raised. “You aren’t planning on doing some match-making are you?”

“Oh, the match has already been made… they just haven’t realised it yet,” Nancy replied. 

“Oh boy,” Clint sighed, but the twinkling in his eyes gave him away. Nancy stuck out her tongue at him, but burst out laughing immediately. 

“By the way, I arranged with Miss DeWitt that we could leave tomorrow at lunchtime, so that should give us plenty of time to take care of the last few things,” Nancy said. Clint leaned closer to her, having put the tea towel aside. 

“Have I told you recently I love you?” Clint asked quietly, a smile erupting on Nancy’s face. 

“You may have mentioned it… a couple of times…” Nancy replied, becoming a little distracted. 

“Good, ‘cause I do,” Clint whispered, before closing the distance between them. 

A while later he dropped her off at her father’s place. 

She had stopped renting her apartment when they left for Indonesia, about a year ago, and since they knew they were going to get married once they got back, she didn’t want to rent another apartment for such a short period. So now she was living with her father again up till the wedding, while Clint was back in his old apartment. He had sublet it while they were gone, and Police officer Nate Jackson, the building’s supervisor, and their good friend, had been keeping an eye on it. 

They would move into Clint’s apartment for the time being after their wedding. But up to that point, they would have to deal with the separation. Luckily it wouldn’t last much longer. 

“Call when you’re back home?” Nancy asked, referring to his apartment. 

“I will,” Clint assured, a tender smile on his face. He gave her a gentle kiss. “Can’t wait till Saturday,” he whispered. Nancy gave him an amused look. 

“We’re getting married Friday,” she said, although she doubted he had forgotten. 

“Exactly…” 

Nancy smiled, and pulled his head down gently. 

“I love you,” she said softly, kissing him goodnight. 

“Love you too,” Clint whispered. “See you tomorrow.” 

Nancy sighed as he made his way back to his truck. _’Just two nights left…’_ , she thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Thursday

As Sue had predicted, she was done pretty soon. Jack had not minded too much, secretly enjoying the time spent together, especially doing something mundane as clothes shopping. It was almost like they were together… as in, a couple. He almost snorted when he realised what he was thinking. Yeah right. As if she’d be interested. She just saw him as a working partner and a friend. Nothing more. And he was afraid to risk what they had, scared she would turn him down if he worked up the nerves to actually ask her out, scared their relationship would never be the same anymore after that. So he just enjoyed the feeling while it lasted. 

And boy did she take his breath away when he saw her coming out of one of the changing rooms. More than once actually. But that last dress really looked great on her. 

Sue tried to hide her blush as she saw his reaction. It was getting harder to ignore her feelings for this man if he kept looking at her like that. But there was no way he reciprocated those feelings. If he had, wouldn’t he have said something a long time ago? Besides, she couldn’t really blame him. She was deaf after all, and she knew how hard it was to try and understand another world, let alone live in it. She couldn’t ask Jack to make the same sacrifices her parents had. So, for now, she would just have to enjoy his company while she could. 

The rest of the day was spent comfortably, with Jack calling Demetrius to tell him they wouldn’t be in Washington, D.C. till Monday, and why. D told him that was alright. He had given them some time off after all. But he appreciated being told of their whereabouts. Wishing them a good couple of days and a safe return, they hung up. It was time for some relaxed sight-seeing.

* * *

“Alright, Mrs. Aldridge,” Clint said, having finished his examination. “It seems like the treatment worked. You just continue to take it easy for another few days, and everything should be alright.” 

The woman smiled. “Thank you, doctor Cassidy.” 

“My pleasure, Ma’am. Please say ‘hi’ to your nephew from me,” Clint said, referring to the boy she had brought in once when he’d fallen and banged his head while she was babysitting. 

“I’m sure he’ll love to hear from you,” Mrs. Aldridge grinned, as Clint opened the exam room door and they walked towards the front desk. They continued to talk for a bit, as Clint completed her chart. When she saw Nancy come around the corner, she quickly hid a smile. “Well, I think I’d better go. I hope you two will have a good wedding.” 

“Thanks Mrs. Aldridge,” Clint said warmly. The woman smiled, and waved at Nancy as she left the clinic. Nancy came to stand in front of her fiancé, the desk between them, and rested her head on her hands. 

“You almost done?” she asked, knowing Mrs. Aldridge had been his last patient for the day. 

“Yup.” Clint signed the form, and closed it. “Let me fetch our coats, and I’ll be ready to go.” 

“Oh, here, I’ll put that file away for you, doctor Cassidy,” another nurse said. She was currently filling in for Tippy Williams-Doss, the receptionist, who was on maternity leave, having delivered her son two and a half months ago. 

“Thank you, Betty.” The nurse accepted the file with a smile, knowing the two were ready to go. Nancy threaded her arm around his waist, ready to have the afternoon off. They quickly showed their face in Donna DeWitt’s office to let her know they were signing out for the day, and confirming the time they’d see her tomorrow. 

They spent the afternoon looking over the last few details for the next day, but also just talking and laughing. 

Suddenly they heard stumbling outside the door, soon followed by urgent knocking, and Raul’s voice. “Clint, Nancy, hurry!” 

“What’s up Raul?” Clint asked, hurrying to open the door. 

“Come quick, it’s Justin,” Raul breathed hard, pointing in the direction he’d come from. Without hesitation, the two adults rushed off the stairs towards the Jacksons’ apartment, Raul following them. 

As soon as they spun through the open door, they abruptly came to a stop. 

“Surprise!” the group of people shouted. The entire gang was there: doctor Derek Hebert, with his wife Nellie and daughter Gracie; doctor Oliver Crane; Tippy and Captain Doss, along with their baby boy; Donna DeWitt; the Johansons; Paul Nichol; Wendell, Elaine Richardson’s second husband, and of course the Jacksons themselves, along with Justin, Raul’s friend.

Clint looked back at Nancy, both not having expected this. Behind them, Raul was grinning widely. Nancy looked at him pointedly. “You have some explaining to do, young man.” 

Raul shook his head. “Oh no, Nate and Beverly will do that; they’re the ones who set it up.” 

“Raul!” Beverly scolded gently. The room burst out laughing. 

“Well, we couldn’t let you two sit upstairs with just the two of you this afternoon, and tomorrow it’s going to be a busy day anyway, so we decided to throw a small party for you two. Don’t worry, it’s just some eating, drinking and relaxing, and you can leave whenever you want,” Beverly explained. 

Nancy shared a smile with Clint, looking around the room. “Thanks guys, you really didn’t have to do this,” Clint said, on behalf of both of them. “And next time you’re planning something like this, please don’t send Raul upstairs – he almost gave us a heart attack.” At this, Clint winked at Raul, who grinned. 

“Well, he didn’t,” Oliver Crane said, “and even if he had, there would have been plenty of medical expertise still available to help.” 

Nancy rolled her eyes at his comment, but refrained from shooting back a sharp comment. They stayed for a while, talking with everyone, holding Tippy’s baby, and making sure everyone would be on time the next day. 

Just one last night spent separately…


	6. Chapter 6

Friday

A knock on the door woke Clint up. Glancing at his clock, he decided he wasn’t dreaming, and it really was 5 o’clock in the morning. Still the knocking insisted, so he quickly got up and opened the door. 

“Raul? Something wrong?” he asked upon seeing the boy standing there at his door. 

“No. Nothing’s wrong,” Raul assured him. “I just…” A shrug. 

“You wanna come in?” Clint offered, feeling more awake.” 

They both sank down on the couch. After a few moments of silence, Raul spoke up. “Are you nervous?” 

“A little. Not too much.” 

Raul nodded. Clint decided to take the initiative. “Raul, is something on your mind?”

The boy took a deep breath, and looked down at his hands. “Well… you know when you were in Indonesia, I missed you?”

Clint nodded. “I missed you too, Raul.” 

“Well, I knew I could always e-mail you, or call you… you know.” 

“Yes…” The doctor wondered where this was going. 

“I… I guess I was wondering if I could still… you know… drop by every now and then.” 

Clint blinked. “Of course, Raul. Why would you – Ah.” Suddenly it became clear. “You’re afraid that once Nancy and I are married, I won’t have time for you?”

Raul shrugged, not looking up. 

“Raul,” Clint said softly, waiting for the adopted boy to look up. “You can _always_ come to me, or Nancy, if you need us. Nancy loves you just about as much as I do, and she also knew your mother.” He waited for a moment, watching his words sink in. “Remember what I said when we talked about Nate and Beverly adopting you?”

“You said we’d just be a bigger family.”

“Exactly. And that’s sort of the same thing happening now. Except, Nancy’s been part of our ‘family’ for a long time already. Just not in name.” 

Raul thought about it for a moment, and nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He waited for another moment. “So… everything’s ok?”

“Yup,” Clint said. 

“Ok.” Raul was satisfied. It didn’t happen as often as it used to be that he needed to talk to Clint, be it about his mother, or just general. But he’d woken up this morning, scared to death that he wouldn’t be able to talk to the first man he’d looked at as a surrogate father. Rationally he’d known of course, that Clint would always be there for him whenever possible, but he’d just needed to confirm it. 

“I think I’ll go back to bed now,” he said. 

“Sounds like a good plan,” Clint agreed. They stood. Suddenly Raul turned around and hugged Clint fiercely. Instinctively, Clint held him. 

“I love you Clint,” Raul mumbled against his t-shirt. Clint smiled softly. “I love you too, Raul. I love you too.” 

After a few moments, Raul let go, and looked up, giving Clint a wide smile. “You do know you’re supposed to be marrying _Nancy_ today, right?” he said cheekily, causing the country doctor to chuckle. “Oh, I know, don’t you worry about that. Now go get back to bed, or your parents will worry.” 

Raul dashed off, returning to the apartment below to get some more sleep. Clint shook his head, and decided he might as well stay awake now. He’d always been an early riser, and he wasn’t going back to bed for only half an hour. ‘sides, Dottie and Doc Johanson were coming over in the morning to make sure he’d be decent for his own wedding. 

A smile crept onto his face. Just a few more hours, and he’d be married to the woman he loved.


	7. Chapter 7

The wedding whipped by. A lot of people were attending, as both Clint and Nancy had made a lot of friends throughout the years. Sue, Jack and Levi entered the church, expecting to be relatively early, but were taken aback by how many people were already there. They started searching for seats near the back, since they didn’t see many free chairs next to each other more towards the front. 

Suddenly a perky woman stood before them. 

“Hi,” she said with a wide smile. “Would you happen to be Jack Hudson and Sue Thomas?” 

Jack and Sue exchanged a quick look, and Sue shrugged. She didn’t have a clue who this woman was. “That would be us,” Jack replied. 

“Oh, good. My name’s Tippy. Nancy asked to make sure to save you some good seats where you’d be able to read lips.” 

At both their surprised looks, Tippy quickly added, “Oh, not you Mr. Hudson, but Miss Thomas. Unless you know how to read lips too…?” She looked at him questioningly, and Jack shook his head, pulling his mind back in gear. “No, I don’t.”

The woman leaned over a little bit conspiringly, “Don’t worry, neither do I. But,” she continued perkily, “I hope I found good seats for you. Oh, come on, I’ll get you to them. Come, or they’ll start without us.” 

She quickly wove her way through the crowd, towards the front of the church, and Jack, Sue and Levi followed her. 

“Here you go,” Tippy said, pointing to two seats at the edge of the second row. “I hope this is alright? I put you next to my husband. He’s a major in the army,” she said proudly. Sue smiled at her. “These seats are perfect, thank you.” 

“No problem! Oh!! I need to go. I’m one of the bridesmaids!!” 

And off she was. Jack chuckled quietly, and Sue smiled amused, as they took their seats. This Tippy could give Tara a run for her money! Major Steven Doss introduced himself, and Sue noticed Dottie and Harley sitting on the other side of the aisle on the first row, and waved at them. Dottie quickly came over, a wide smile on her face. 

“Hey Sue, Jack… Levi. How are you doing? You both look wonderful!” She quickly made sure everything was alright, before returning to her husband, as the service began. 

As they watched Nancy and Clint exchange their vows, both Sue and Jack were acutely aware of the other’s shoulder touching theirs. Sue sighed inaudibly, wishing… If only she and Jack could share what Nancy and Clint shared. If only she dared tell Jack she loved him. But it wouldn’t happen. Jack deserved to marry someone who didn’t have special needs, someone hearing… 

In the meantime, Jack longed to tell Sue he loved her, but afraid she would turn him down. After all, he wasn’t fluent in sign language, he didn’t know half of what she was going through each day, and he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to help her with what she needed. 

After the service, Tippy appeared again, this time holding her young son, George C. Doss. She made sure they knew where to go next. At the reception, after a lot of handshaking, the newlywed couple finally found a moment to sit down. Clint pulled out a chair at the table where their parents were seated, and let Nancy sit down, before taking the chair next to it. His hand quickly found hers again, and they shared a loving look. They were married, starting a new life together, allowing God to lead them. They couldn’t be happier. 

Meanwhile, Donna DeWitt was explaining to Jack and Sue how they had once set up doctor Oliver Crane to sing Yankee Doodle as he was hopping down on one foot, wearing a surgical mask on top of his head, two tongue depressors hanging from his mouth like tusks, cotton balls up his nose and two pencils sticking out from his ears. 

Doctor Crane was not amused, and instead concentrated on talking to Paul. Raul and Gracie took care of Mattie, while being entertained by Levi. The dog figured Sue had Jack by her side to alert her to what was happening, but still kept looking back at his owner from time to time to see if Jack was doing a good job. 

When the music started, Clint rose and offered Nancy a hand. 

“May I have this dance?” he asked formally, bringing a broad smile on Nancy’s already shining face. “You may.” 

They kicked off the dance, soon followed by other couples. Drawing Nancy closer, Clint rested his head against hers. “Are you enjoying the day?” he whispered. 

“Absolutely,” she replied without hesitating. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.” She put her head back on his shoulder. 

Seeing Paul dance past with Dottie brought a sad smile to her face. “Just a little sad Mom couldn’t be here.” She felt Clint’s arm tighten slightly, comforting her in a way only he could. “We’ll see her again.” Nancy smiled through tears. “Yeah.” 

They continued to dance, revelling in just holding the other close. 

From the side of the room, Jack was watching his cousin and her husband. The love they felt for each other so easy to see, returning Jack’s thoughts immediately to the woman sitting next to him, holding little George while talking to Tippy. Suddenly Jack made a decision. Touching Sue on the arm, he waited till she looked at him. With a confidence he didn’t know he possessed, he asked, “Sue, would you like to dance?” 

Surprise and delight flitted across her features, and she nodded. “I’d like that.” 

Tippy quickly hid a smile, and took her son back from Sue’s arms. Watching the couple walk towards the dance floor, Nellie Hebert leaned over. “Aren’t they just a cute couple? I can’t believe they’re both still single.” 

The receptionist chuckled as she leaned back a little against her husband’s shoulder. “Well, Nancy and doctor Cassidy took their sweet time…” 

Nellie laughed. “That’s true.” 

Soon the evening drew to a close. Nancy and Clint hugged their parents and closest friends. When Doc Johanson jokingly asked Clint what he planned on doing for the honeymoon, he got a gentle smack from his wife. “Harley! You don’t ask that sort of thing.” Quickly she added, looking at Sue, “Can you believe he took me fishing for our honeymoon?”

“As I recall,” Doc Johanson said as his arm went around Dotie’s shoulders, “You didn’t complain about that camping experience…” 

Dottie blushed slightly, but her eyes twinkled. Sue grinned. “Oh, oh well. Clint, son, I hope you two will have a wonderful honeymoon.”

“Thanks Dottie,” he said, gathering the gentle woman who had taken him in as her son since he was ten, in his arms. 

“I’m proud of you, Clint. And I know your parents would have been too,” she whispered, putting her hand on his cheek. Doc Johanson just smiled at him. 

“You’ve grown into a wonderful man and a great doctor, son. When we took you in all those years ago, we couldn’t have imagined all the blessings that we’d experience because of it.”

The two men just looked at each other for a few moments, silently communicating what words couldn’t tell. Clint nodded, and Doc Johanson gave Nancy a hug, before leaving with Dottie. Nancy put her hand on Clint’s arm. He looked sideways at her, and covered her hand with his, glad for her support. 

Then Jack and Sue said their goodbyes, thanking them for a great day. Nancy held onto Sue’s hand. “We’ll stay in touch, alright?”

Sue nodded. “I’d like that.” 

Nancy nodded, and went on to hug Jack, and made him promise to pass on Sue’s e-mail address. 

Paul came up to them, as they were about to leave. “Hey Jack, Sue. Would you like to come over for a drink?” 

Jack looked over at Sue. “Well, we have to leave early tomorrow, so…”

“That’s alright,” Paul said. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” 

When they walked away, Sue quietly asked, “You sure? He’s living alone, might need some company, now that his daughter’s married.” 

Jack shrugged uneasily. “I know, but… we have to drive back tomorrow, and I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. We won’t be much good if we fall asleep behind the wheel.” 

Sue nodded, trying to see if there was another way, but agreed with Jack. The case they’d been working on before coming here had been trying enough, and while the last two days had been relaxing, they did need the energy to drive back. 

Suddenly a smile formed on Jack’s face. “What is it?” Sue asked. 

“Doctor Hebert just invited Paul over.”

Sue smiled as well. “They sure seem to be very close friends, all of them. Sort of like what we have with the team back home.” 

Jack nodded. “Yeah.” 

They said their farewells to the rest of the Westbury-gang, whom they had talked to throughout the evening, and then left. They decided to walk back to the hotel, since it wasn’t too far, and it allowed them to walk Levi at the same time. 

Still in the mood, Jack put his arm around Sue’s shoulder. Halfway to the hotel, they decided to go buy a cup of coffee. As they drank their beverages, they commented on some of the similarities the group from the Westbury clinic had compared to their own team, chuckling often as they remembered a couple of stories. 

“I can’t believe how much Tippy and Tara are alike!” Jack grinned, shaking his head. Sue sat back contented. 

“You look happy,” Jack commented. Sue thought for a moment. 

“I am.” When Jack waited for more, she continued. “This was the first wedding I’ve been to where I felt accepted, where I wasn’t the odd one out, or the ‘dumb one’. I know we only met most of these people today, but they’ve been very kind, and you can see how much they care for each other. They’ve made me feel part of their ‘family’.” 

Jack smiled softly, but his eyes reflected some of the anger he felt that she so often had been made to feel an outsider. Sue took his hand. “Jack, I want to thank you for introducing me to your family. These have been two wonderful days.” ‘ _Not in the least because I spent them all entirely with you…’_ she thought, but didn’t say it. 

The special agent nodded. The past few days had relaxed them both, and he somehow felt he and Sue had become closer. But perhaps that was just because they’d been welcomed warmly into a group of friends and family. “Thanks for coming along.”


	8. Chapter 8

A couple of months later, back in Washington, D.C. Things had been chaotic for a few days, but finally things were settling down again, and the high priority case was wrapped up. Sue checked the time, and looked over at Jack. Jack, for his part, sensed her gaze, and looked up. 

‘FINISHED?’ she signed. 

‘ALMOST,’ Jack signed back, immediately returning to writing down his report. 

Tara had been explaining something to Lucy at her computer, and both women caught the exchange. Lucy raised an eyebrow, and checked with Tara. The computer analyst nodded, and this was all the confirmation Lucy needed. “I’ll be right back…” 

Levi alerted Sue to the other woman’s presence. She glanced up, waiting to see what Lucy needed. 

“Is something up, you seem anxious to leave…” Lucy asked, glancing at Jack, who was still typing. 

“Oh, you remember Jack’s cousin we met in New York a couple of months ago?” 

Lucy nodded. “Sure do. You both came back quite excited. Don’t you still have e-mail contact with her. What’s her name again?” 

“Nancy. Yes, that’s right. Well, she e-mailed me a couple of days ago, saying that she and her husband, Clint, would be in Washington, D.C. for some sort of conference today. We’re supposed to meet them _if_ Jack manages to finish his report on time…” 

Jack looked up again, and gave her a quick smile, at which Sue grinned. 

“You know, you described them as really nice people. Why don’t you invite them over for dinner or something, tonight?”

Sue’s face lit up. “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. Well, don’t expect anything fancy, we’ll have to order something, ‘cause I don’t know if you’ve looked at our refrigerator lately, but we don’t have much.” 

“I don’t think they’ll mind. Jack, do you think Clint and Nancy would mind take-out?” 

“Don’t think so but you could ask…” Jack said, leaning on one arm. “Say, why don’t we invite the whole team over. It’s been a while since we had a team-night.”

“That sounds perfect, Mate,” Bobby said loudly from his desk. “Been wondering what your cousin would be like.” 

“Everyone else in agreement?” Sue asked. At a unanimous ‘yes’, she dialled Clint’s cell phone number. 

“Hi, Clint? It’s Sue. We have a slight change of plans… that is, if you agree…”

* * *

The door bell rang, and Jack straightened from his position at the kitchen counter, where he’d been talking to Sue and Lucy as they walked around the kitchen to get drinks set up. “I’ll get that,” he said. Levi walked with him. 

“Hey, come on in,” Jack greeted the couple, immediately hugging Nancy and shaking Clint’s hand.

“Jack, how’re you doing?” Clint asked, as he took Nancy’s coat. 

“Fine. You?”

“Just great,” Clint replied with a smile, as he put his arm around Nancy’s shoulders. 

“Guess married life is working out for you?” Jack grinned. Nancy tried to glare at him, but had to laugh at the same time, so the effect was somewhat diminished. They continued on to the kitchen, where Sue was greeted enthusiastically, and Lucy was introduced. Lucy and Nancy hit off immediately, leaving Sue to breathe a little more relaxed. She’d been a little afraid the two similar personalities might clash, but it was quite the opposite apparently. 

A few minutes later, Demetrius and his wife, Donna arrived, but before they could be properly introduced, there was another knock on the door. 

“We’ve got food, food, and I believe Myles might have some food with him too,” Bobby said, walking in with a couple of plastic bags, followed by Myles and Tara. 

“And, I decided to bring some food,” Tara said, presenting her two plastic bags. 

“Sounds good to me,” Clint said. “But what will ya’ll be eating?” 

For a moment there was silence. Then the whole group burst out laughing, and Bobby walked up to the country doctor. “I already like you. Name’s Bobby Manning.”

“Clint Cassidy. And don’t worry ‘bout the food, I don’t mind sharing.” 

“Yeah, you just need to grab it before he’s finished eating everything,” Nancy said, affectionately prodding her husband with her elbow. “Nancy Cassidy, nice to meet you.” 

The Australian chuckled. “Likewise… and it’s nice to meet you too.” 

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Oh great. I hope no one else is hungry ‘round here.” 

“I’m sure we’ll manage.” Jack smiled. 

“Myles Leland the third,” Myles said as he stepped forward to introduce himself. As soon as Tara, D. and Donna were also introduced, they all moved towards the living room, where they found a seat. Sue prayed out loud, before everyone started passing out plates, food and drinks. 

It was almost like any team night, just with some extra people. Myles was sitting on the couch, talking to Lucy who sat on a chair next to him. Next to Lucy lay Levi, with Sue sitting next to him on a pillow. Jack sat next to her, followed by Tara, who sat a little bit in front of Bobby’s chair. Bobby and Clint were talking about farming, having found out they both grew up on a farm. Sometimes someone else would pitch in. Nancy sat on the chair next to Clint, talking with Donna who sat on the couch with Demetrius, and Myles. 

“Bobby, want some crisps?” Tara asked, offering the bowl of crisps. They’d long since finished eating, had cleared most of the wrapping material away, and had moved on to some drinks and crisps. 

“Thanks Tara,” he said with a smile, as he took some crisps. Tara smiled back, and continued to chat with Sue, leaning against Bobby’s chair. 

After a while, Jack and Sue went to walk Levi. Demetrius and Donna had gone home already, since the kids were home alone, and they didn’t want to leave them alone for too long. Tara, Nancy and Lucy went to the kitchen to do the dishes, leaving Bobby, Myles and Clint to their own devices. Myles and Clint had engaged in a discussion about the pros and cons of a ‘country-style-bed side manner’, and Bobby occasionally added his insight. 

At some point though, the conversation turned towards a different topic. 

“So, what made you decide to pop the question?” Myles asked Clint. 

Clint chuckled, shaking his head. “I was going to ask when she was about to leave for Indonesia. But before I could ask her, she told me she’d thought for a long time there could be something more between us, but that that time was over.”

Both listening men raised their eyebrows. “Well, something must have happened, ‘cause look where you are now.”

“Oh yes. Tippy happened. She’s a receptionist at the clinic both Nancy and I work for, and she’s a lot like Tara in a way. She told me I had to tell Nancy how I felt about her, despite what she’d just told me. I thought about that for a while, realised I couldn’t imagine a life without Nancy anymore, so searched her out and proposed.” 

Bobby blinked. “That certainly went fast. Didn’t you… date first?”

“Oh, we’d known each other for more than four years, and lived in the same building during the larger part of that time. We’ve been ‘dating’ for years, just without the official stuff. We’ve seen each other at our best and at our worst, yet stuck together through it all. Besides, once she accepted, we went to Indonesia for almost a year, and only got married when we came back a couple of months ago.” 

Bobby seemed lost in his thoughts, and Clint regarded him for a moment. 

“So, either of you have a special someone?” Clint asked, although he had his own ideas from what he’d seen tonight. Bobby’s eyes flitted towards Clint’s. Myles remained quiet. 

“Nah, not really,” Bobby said finally. 

“What about Tara,” Myles asked quietly, but he looked at his friend with a steady gaze. Bobby returned the gaze, then sighed. 

“It’s not like I’m not interested… it’s just… I have done some things in my past that I’m not exactly proud of,” he admitted. “I don’t want to burden her or any woman with that.” He thought about his gambling addiction. He still visited the counselling group, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Tara’s disappointment when or if she found out. 

Clint watched him for a while. 

“We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, things we shouldn’t have done… But keeping those things hidden from someone you love can only bring pain. Most often we think we’re protecting them from our ugly side, but we don’t realise that if someone loves you, they’ll love you despite your faults.” 

He waited for a moment. “Jesus does the same. And He knows all of our faults, sometimes even more than we ourselves are aware of. But He loves us despite of them. God loves us so much, He let His own son die for our sins. And you know the funny thing… He knows all our sins, yet asks that we tell Him about them, and ask for His forgiveness for them. And He promises that if we do that, they are forgiven.” 

Bobby watched the cowboy. He’d sure given him some things to think about… 

Myles kept silent. Clint’s words had hit a chord. He’d never considered himself a really religious man, not because he didn’t believe in God, but rather because he had tried to hide from Him, knowing he had so many faults. And here this country doctor from Montana kicked away the illusion of his hiding. 

Seeing his words impact both agents, Clint said a silent thanks for God’s guidance. Deciding to lighten it up, he asked, “So, what’s up between Jack and Sue?”

This brought the two men out of their pensive states, and they told him all about the ‘non-relation’ Sue and Jack had. 

The women were soon done with the dishes, and had returned to the living room, when Jack and Sue also returned with Levi. The night continued for a while longer, but then it was time to leave. Goodbyes were said, and promises made to drop by whenever they were in the area.


	9. Chapter 9

Two months later, Paul Nichol was over for dinner at the Cassidy’s. 

“You know, my sister Trish, Jack’s mother, called me the other day. She thought it might be an idea to have a family reunion at their place in Wisconsin.” 

“That’s a great idea!” Nancy said, sitting up straighter. “When?” 

“Oh, as soon as she can tell the rest of the family and figure out a date. So I guess you’ll be coming?”

Clint nodded. “Yeah, I’d love to meet the rest of the family.” 

“Well, mind you, there aren’t many left. But we still have my cousin and his wife, and their two daughters, one with husband and kids, and the other with boyfriend. And Jack will be there of course.”

“And Sue.” Nancy stated. 

“I’d be surprised if she wouldn’t come,” Paul agreed. “Although… is it official yet?”

“No,” Nancy sighed. “But they’re only now heading towards the four year mark, so…” 

Clint shook his head in amusement. “You don’t have to worry, Lucy, Tara and Donna are already trying to get them together, I doubt they need yet another match maker.” 

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’ve said that before.” 

“Yup,” Clint said cheerfully. 

“You know it won’t keep me from trying, don’t you?” 

“Yup, I know that too.” 

Nancy chuckled. “You’re crazy. But I love you anyway.” 

“And you’re a match maker, and I love you too, despite that.” 

Clint leaned over to give her a gentle kiss, but when it lasted a bit longer, Paul cleared his throat. “I guess I could slip out and leave you two to do the dishes?” 

Nancy laughed, breaking off the kiss. “Oh no you don’t, you’ve escaped that duty too many times already, you’re not getting away with it now.”

Paul sighed. “It was worth a try.” 

“Actually, Paul, you can go ahead. We’ll do the dishes,” Clint said, receiving a glare from his wife. “After all, we can do the dishes _tomorrow_ …” 

Immediately the glare turned into another expression entirely. “I like your way of thinking.” Suddenly she realised her father was still there, and blushed. 

“I take that as my cue to leave,” Paul said, beating a hasty retreat. 

“Bye Dad. Don’t forget to call aunt Trish about that reunion!” 

Paul waved, and left. Nancy and Clint laughed, before their attention was focused elsewhere.

* * *

A few weeks later, the reunion was held. Nancy had convinced Sue that she should come too, if only to give Jack an excuse to retreat. Nancy loved her family to bits, but especially the cousin and children could be a bit intense at times. 

Both Jack and Sue had decided to drive, as had Nancy, Clint and Paul. Although Nancy still didn’t have her driver’s licence, so the driving naturally was divided between the two men, Clint take the largest share. It was his truck after all. 

When they arrived, Jack’s car had pulled up just before them, so when they got out, hugs were exchanged immediately. Trish Hudson-Nichol came walking up to them, husband in tow, and welcomed everyone. The rest of the family arrived not long after, and soon bedrooms were sorted out, and luggage was unpacked. They would be staying for two nights, leaving again the second morning. 

That first evening, everyone was tired from the travelling, so apart from eating dinner, getting to know each other a bit and some catching up, nothing much was done. 

The second day however, there were some activities planned, including horse riding. Neither Sue nor Nancy had ever ridden a horse, but Jack and Clint patiently gave instructions and helped them. Since the cousin’s daughters wouldn’t even go near horses, Trish decided to stay home with them while the rest went out for a ride.

After having gotten a bit of a feel for riding, Sue asked if she could try a canter. Jack explained the techniques, and when he asked if she was ready to try, she nodded. 

“Sometimes you just got to go for it,” she said smiling widely. She was starting to get the hang of it. 

“Alright, lets canter up to that tree.” 

Off they went, Levi running along. The rest of the group expressed their desire to go back. Nancy and Clint looked at each other and at Nancy’s nod, they too took off, leaving the rest to return, at their own pace. Catching up with Jack and Sue at the tree, the four went on ahead together. 

At some point, they stopped for a rest, having brought something to eat and drink. Nancy wanted to talk to Sue alone for a bit, and tried to communicate that to her husband without the other couple noticing. 

It took a few moments before Clint caught on, but then he challenged Jack for a race, which was quickly accepted. For a moment neither moved, just looking at each other, searching for that one movement that indicated that the other was about to rush off. 

Suddenly the both got up from the ground and rushed towards their horses. They were both good horsemen, and while Clint might have been slightly better, Jack knew the land and the horse. From their positions, Nancy and Sue couldn’t make out who won, but figured they’d find out. Meanwhile Nancy asked Sue about her feelings for Jack. She was almost as surprised at Sue’s frankness as Sue herself was, when she said, “I love him.” When Nancy asked why she hadn’t told him, she tried to explain her doubts.

Meanwhile, Clint was having a very similar conversation with Jack. When Jack had finished explaining his reasons, Clint was silent for a moment, before telling him how exactly he and Nancy had ended up together. 

“Sometimes you just got to go for it,” he finished with a grin. Jack thought about it, then seemed to remember where they were.

“Race you back!” he yelled, immediately spurring his horse on. Clint shook his head, and set in the pursuit.


	10. Chapter 10

Later that day, as everyone was just relaxing, talking to each other, telling stories, etcetera, Jack took Sue aside. Nancy was leaning against Clint, who lay flat on his back in the grass. Seeing them go, she murmured, “Wonder what they’re up to.”

Clint lifted up his head slightly, looking in the direction Nancy was looking at. A small smile appeared on his face. When he didn’t reply, Nancy looked at her husband, and saw the smile, which set her on alert. 

“Do you know more about this?”

“I might…” Clint said secretively. 

“Clint!” Nancy warned, leaning closer. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do a- much,” Clint protested. “I might have explained how we got engaged… and I might have used Sue’s words to prod a little…”

“Which words?” Nancy demanded. 

“The ones she said earlier today… _’Sometimes you just got to go for it’_ …”

“You think it helped?”

Clint shrugged, as much as he could lying flat on his back. “It looked like it may have… or at least confirmed something.” 

Nancy smiled. “You know… some people might call that ‘match-making’,” she said, leaning closer, her head directly above his. 

“Those people don’t know what they’re talking about,” Clint breathed, a little distracted with his wife’s face so close… 

“ _I_ call it ‘match-making’,” Nancy said, slowly making the distance between them smaller. 

“In that case, I guess I was ‘match-making’,” Clint admitted. Nancy smiled widely, closing the final distance with a long kiss. When they pulled apart, she said, “Don’t worry, I still love you.”

* * *

“Jack?” Sue asked, wondering why they were leaving the rest of the family for the moment. It couldn’t be for Levi, he was still dog-tired from the long trip with the horses that morning. Besides, despite it being early autumn, the temperature was nice, and the sun was shining, so most of them were outside anyway. 

Jack led her to a small secluded area of the garden. There he stopped, and they sat down on a bench. This area had been semi-kept, so most of nature had been able to go its own course, creating a beautiful wild scene. 

“It’s beautiful, Jack,” Sue said, taking in the scene’s beauty. When her attention went back to him, Jack spoke softly. 

“Yes…” 

Sue blushed. 

“Sue, I…I… You…” Jack sighed in frustration, then took a deep breath. “Sometimes you just got to go for it, so here goes: I love you, Sue Thomas.” 

For a moment, Sue forgot to breathe. Then she gasped. “Did… did you just say?”

“I love you, Sue, I’ve loved you for a long time.”

Delight swept through her. “I love you too, Jack Hudson.” 

“You do?” Jack asked, taken aback a little, but excited at the same time.

“Yes, yes, I do!” 

She threw her arms around him, reminding both of them of the day he’d hired her. Smiling at the memory, Sue drew back a little. Jack’s arms had around her waist, while his eyes searched for permission. Their first kiss was tentative, soon followed by one more passionate. 

Suddenly Sue drew back. “But, don’t you mind that I… that I’m deaf?”

Jack looked at her incredulously. “No, not at all. Do you mind that I’m hearing?” he asked, suddenly afraid. 

“Never!” Sue said firmly. They chuckled, and their lips found each other again.

* * *

Later that evening, the whole family was aware of the change in relationship between Jack and Sue, and everyone was happy for them. The evening was spent in the living room, a fire going in the fire place.

A hand settled on Sue’s shoulder, and she looked up to see Clint sitting down next to her. They hadn’t had a chance to talk alone much yet, but now Jack and Nancy were catching up together with Paul, and Jack’s parents. 

“You ok?” Clint asked. 

“Yes, I couldn’t be happier,” Sue said, the emotion showing clearly on her face. 

“Good. I’m happy for you two too.”

“It’s sometimes strange how things work out,” Clint said after a few moments of silence. At Sue’s questioning look, he continued. “I’m sure you didn’t expect to be spending the evening with a whole group of strangers, when you came down to New York to testify. And I’m sure you didn’t expect Jack’s declaration of love either when you decided to come to this family reunion as a friend.” 

“That’s true,” Sue admitted. 

“I hope we weren’t too overwhelming,” the doctor said, referring to the first time they’d met. 

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” Sue assured him. “I think the biggest surprise was finding out you were a cowboy and doctor rolled up into one,” she teased.

Clint chuckled. 

“Well, that and finding out Jack actually had a cousin and uncle living in New York,” Sue amended. Clint looked at her, then ventured a calculated guess. 

“You didn’t know he had an uncle or cousin, or other family besides his parents, did you?”

Sue sighed. “No. But that’s alright. It just never came up I guess.” For a moment they both remained silent, but then Sue realised something – she really didn’t mind that Jack hadn’t told her before; he had told her now, had taken her with him to meet them, even when they were ‘just friends’. “I’m glad he asked me to come and meet you though.” 

“So am I, Sue,” Clint said. “And I’ll be honest with you… you guys felt like more than just friends when you showed up on our doorstep in New York. Not just to each other,” Clint explained, “but to us. You’re more than friends… you’re family.” 

Sue thought it over, remembered her own feelings on the matter, and smiled at the country doctor. “I agree.” 

**THE END**


End file.
